The Strength of a Dou Zong Expert

"No!"

Green Man showed no mercy in his attack. The terrifying force behind his fist had reached at least the High Profound Tier.

Green Yi gritted her silver teeth. Dou Qi surged from her palm as countless vines burst from the ground, forming a wooden wall before her.

The next instant, the enormous fist, wrapped in energy light and accompanied by a howling rush of wind, smashed fiercely into the sturdy wooden wall. The newly formed wall shattered with a deafening crash, turning into splinters that filled the sky.

"Bang!"

With an explosive boom, the heavy wooden wall was blasted open by the green giant fist, leaving a huge hole. Though the fist's color had dimmed somewhat, it still charged toward Green Yi and Lin Ran.

"Such terrifying power... how is this possible?"

Green Yi's pupils contracted. Her defense could not block Green Man's Dou Technique. Having only recently entered the Dou Huang realm, she truly was no match for Green Man, who had been a Dou Huang for many years.

Watching the green giant fist rush toward her and feeling its crushing pressure, Green Yi swiftly formed hand seals. Her right palm suddenly opened, aimed at the incoming fist, as Dou Qi continuously poured out from within her in an attempt to block it.

The moment their Dou Qi collided, it was like boiling water set into a raging churn, blasting everything away. A thunderous explosion of energy erupted, like the wrath of a thunder god, making everyone in Desert City tremble in fear.

A gale born from the energy explosion howled across the area.

The members of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, being closest to the blast, were struck by the energy shockwave at once. All of them were sent flying, vomiting blood as they crashed to the ground.

Green Yi, who bore the brunt of it, did her utmost to use her own Dou Qi to resist the shockwave. Yet she had not expected a hidden Dou Qi attack to be concealed within it.

Caught off guard, Green Yi was struck heavily by a blast of Dou Qi. Her pretty face turned pale, and she could not help coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"A mere One-Star Dou Huang actually thinks she can turn the heavens upside down?"

Green Man's icy voice echoed through the dust and mist. Then he abruptly waved his hand, and countless dark-green strands of energy swept forth like an overwhelming tide, their sharp whistles endlessly piercing the air.

The dark-green energy threads flooding down from every direction resembled stormy waves, transforming into countless sharp vines with nowhere to evade.

Clearly, Green Man could no longer be bothered to consider that Green Yi was also a member of the Heavenly Snake Mansion.

Since she had chosen to stand with Lin Ran, then she could die with him!

For the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, for the glory of the Heavenly Snake Mansion, the life of a mere Dou Huang...

Was worth it!

Green Man waved his hand, and the vines filling the sky twisted strangely before intertwining with one another. Finally, they formed a spherical cage of vines, trapping Green Yi and Lin Ran within.

"Die!"

Green Man sneered, a vicious glint appearing in his eyes. He clenched his hand, gathering dark-green energy that solidified in the blink of an eye into an incomparably sharp wooden spear.

With a sudden shake of his arm, the vine spear tore through the air like lightning, carrying a piercing gale as it shot violently toward Lin Ran and Green Yi inside the vine sphere.

"I'm sorry..."

Green Yi, who was coughing blood and in a weakened state, gave a bitter smile. "Lord Lin Ran, I never expected the affairs of our Heavenly Snake Mansion to drag you into this."

"You should have stood on her side and killed this outsider along with her."

Lin Ran looked at Green Yi's pale face, a faint smile curling on his lips. "Investing in a Sixth-Rank Alchemist is a good choice, but staking your future—even your life—on it would be far too great a loss."

"I just didn't expect Green Man to act so ruthlessly and decisively..." Green Yi smiled helplessly and shook her head. "My lord, you should leave for now. Green Man has already developed killing intent. If you do not leave now, you may truly be unable to escape."

"I hope you will not blame Green Man or the Heavenly Snake Mansion. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils are simply too important to us. If I were Green Man, I fear I would have done the same."

"You're rather like Hai Bodong."

Lin Ran chuckled. Under Green Yi's astonished gaze, he took a step forward. A majestic aura, like a slumbering dragon awakening, instantly enveloped the entirety of Desert City.

"This aura!"

Green Yi stared at Lin Ran's figure, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. Green Man in midair also sensed that something was wrong. The instant the aura erupted, his expression changed completely.

"How is this possible? Even the Mansion Lord's presence is only at this level. How can this be...?"

"Could it be that the Sixth-Rank Alchemist summoned a Dou Zong expert?!"

Green Man's expression flickered, his eyes filled with ruthlessness.

Forget it. Kill him first!

Dou Qi surged wildly from Green Man's palm, and the rampaging vines grew even more violent. Yet the majestic aura emanating from below also became increasingly intense.

At last, amid the sound of cracking, Green Man's vine Dou Technique shattered completely. A figure suddenly emerged beneath countless watching eyes, then stepped through the void and slowly walked toward Green Man in the air.

The figure had not summoned Dou Qi wings, yet his speed as he walked through empty space was terrifying. Each time his foot came down, ripples spread through the void. By the time the ripples faded, he had already appeared a hundred meters away, incomparably mysterious.

After only a few such steps, the figure arrived before Green Man in the span of a moment.

"V-Void Walk?!"

Green Man's expression changed drastically. Looking at the handsome youth before him, even though a thousand thoughts of disbelief filled his heart, all he could do was cry out in disbelief.

"You're not only a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, but also a Dou Zong expert?!"

If Lin Ran had merely been a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, Green Man would naturally not have feared him. Though alchemists were rare and noble, they were not combatants. A powerful alchemist did not necessarily possess great combat strength.

But Lin Ran was not merely a Sixth-Rank Alchemist—he was also a Dou Zong!

How the hell was he supposed to fight this?!

He had thought Lin Ran was a Dou Wang like Pill King Gu He. Who the hell would have guessed he was a Dou Zong?

Once a Dou Zhe reached the Dou Huang realm or above, they could borrow the power of heaven and earth for their own use, becoming an army unto themselves. But precisely because of this, every advancement after the Dou Huang realm was a qualitative transformation.

A Dou Huang could crush a Dou Wang, so naturally, a Dou Zong could crush a Dou Huang.

Run!

Without the slightest hesitation, Green Man's previous killing intent vanished the instant Lin Ran used Void Walk. The only thought remaining in his heart was escape.

He struck several palms toward Lin Ran, then erupted with Dou Qi and turned to flee, transforming into a streak of green light that shot toward the horizon.

The powerful Dou Qi attacks landed on Lin Ran's body, only to be completely blocked by a layer of crimson-gold Dou Qi. Watching Green Man race through the sky, Lin Ran raised his right hand and clenched it toward Green Man's path of flight.

"Buzz... bang!"

A dull sound suddenly rang out from the seemingly tranquil heavens. A moment later, a figure fell helplessly from the sky like a bird with broken wings.

If it was not the fleeing Green Man, who else could it be?